Yemen’s rebel movement Ansar Allah (Houthis) has called the launch of the Starlink satellite communications service in the republic a security threat and vowed to oppose its use. The statement was posted on the website of the rebel-controlled Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The Houthis believe that the provision of internet services to the Yemeni population by Elon Musk’s Starlink is a violation of the sovereignty of the republic and threatens its security. In this regard, the rebel-controlled agency said it would take “all necessary measures to protect the sovereignty and security of the country,” TASS reports.
As reported, on September 18, Musk wrote on the social network X that the Starlink service had started operating in Yemen. As follows from the data on the Starlink website, the republic has become the first country in the Middle East to officially provide satellite communication services. Yemen’s state-owned telecommunications company has become the official distributor of Starlink services, which will be provided in the provinces under government control.
In Yemen, the confrontation between government forces and supporters of Ansar Allah has been ongoing since August 2014. It entered its most active phase following the invasion of the country in March 2015 by a Saudi-led coalition. In April 2022, the warring parties managed to agree on a truce, which expired on 2 October, but consultations have not ceased.
